I am still here

I have been sadly absent for way too long. I had problems with my computer, not allowing me to attach pictures to the blog. When I finally got a new computer, I was too busy to post. I have been serving a service mission for my church, working at the FamilySearch center here in Lehi. That has been a wonderful experience, learning more for myself, but also being able to help others with their family history. I finished my mission this week and am trying to catch up on what I have not posted.

I finished the Civil War Memorial quilt, that I completed piecing in 2011. I gave it to Cody, Vonda's youngest son, for his graduation gift last year. He was really pleased with it.

In January of this year, we got another great grandson. His name is Colton Lee Turner.

I made this quilt from all flannel. It was more of a challenge than I thought it would be, but it turned out pretty cute, and it gets used a lot.

The picture is his one month of age.

 I have another graduation coming up this month and am getting the binding on. I will post when I get it completed!

2 Barnyard Quilts are progressing...

I finished the sheep legs tonight and attached them the sheep.  I also made my animal stacks.

Linking up with:
Wednesday Wait Loss

MARIE: PROGRESS FOR APRIL

My goal for April was to make 13 New York Beauty Blocks. I completed 15, so I'm pretty happy with that. I lined up all of my completed blocks on my design wall. It's fun to see the empty spots fill in as I finish another block.  Hopefully all my blocks will be finished by the end of May then I can start arranging, adding outer borders to the blocks that are missing them, and then put the whole top together.

I have been absent but having fun and One Monthly Goal

I have been blog absent for a couple of weeks because I have been playing out in the sun, but first, what have I finished since my last post?

I made a total of 9 blocks in April.

Moana is done as well, at least with the piecing.  I made two princesses in April.

After returning home from Spring Break and our bike trip, I worked for 5 days and then went to Moab for some fun family jeep trails.  This is our once or twice a year thrill.

My husband and I...

My daughter and her family...

15 Min to Stitch Report

My One monthly Goal is to quilt and bind Periwinkle.

I am linking up with:

BOM's Away (Lynette)
Kate's 15 Min to Stitch
Tish's UFO Busting
Em's Moving it forward
Monday Making with Beth

We made it to Arizona!

This past week for spring break we headed out with two vehicles, a camp trailer, and our bicycles to complete our trek to Arizona.  It was honestly the most scenic stretch of country EVER!

Each night I sewed on my quilt and completed the columns before returning home.  Here are the totals:

Hiked:  62 miles
Biked:  195 miles
Total:  257 miles

We started in January and ended on Thursday the 18th of April.  It took us only 11 days.

The days change from black to white in the quilt.  Each log is 1 mile.  Yellow: hubby walked alone, purple: I walked with him, green hubby biked alone, orange:  I biked with him.

I can honestly say that on the really steep hills (10% grades) I chose to skip.  I did do a few of them but not all.  The first day of this past week was downhill through a gorgeous canyon, but we had a head wind which made it so very very hard.  After 33 miles and terrible aching legs, I chose to go lay under a tree and wait for my husband to go 10 more miles and bring the car back.  

The bottom of the last column has room for something else.  I happened to have this panel of fabric that looks exactly like the country we were in.  I may add it.  I may also try to find more of it for the back.

I will be adding pieced sashing between the columns with diamonds in it.

Look at these switchbacks.  You can see three levels of road if you look.  There were twice as many more coming off this mountain.  Yes, we rode DOWN it.

This is the infamous Forest Gump Highway.  I rode to here but chose not to go up that long hill.  My husband is in yellow on the bike.  From here it was 7 miles up hill.  There is more up hill than can be seen in the photo.  No thank you.

Journey to Arizona

The next section to Arizona (and my quilt that tells its story) inludes 10 miles of hiking and 10 miles of biking in one day.  My husband's sister joined us on this wonderful adventure; she was such a joy.  I honestly have not been on a bike for years.  It was really fun.

The next day we went 40 miles on a bike.  My sister-in-law was not in a hurry to get started, so I waited at camp with her while my husband did 24 miles alone.  I regret that because I wanted to do more.  This was probably the prettiest stretch thus far.  The sun was shining, and the red dirt formations seemed to cheer us on.

We made a stop at a place called "Fat Man's Misery".  We have been there several times, but it was a first for my sister-in-law.  It is a very narrow crack that you climb up.

When you climb out on top it looks like this.

Here is my quilt update:

The purple is for hiking together.  Orange represents biking together while green means my husband biked alone.  Also, the days alternate between black and white.  You can easily see that we get a lot more miles in on the bikes.  Each log on both sides of the colored square is a mile.

15 min to stitch report:

I am linking up with:
Moving it Forward
BOMs Away

April One Monthly Goal and other ones as well...

The UFO Challenge # 11 for April, randomly drawn by Patchwork Times, is to quilt and bind my barns.  My students made this at school last year.  It is a "throw" size so quilting should go pretty fast.  I will need to piece a back and make the binding.

This will be my One Monthly Goal for April.

Also part of that draw number was to assemble my frog round robin quilt.  This one goes back many years, and blocks were made by close friends.  I think my grand babies might enjoy it.

I don't know how far I will get on this one with the busy month I have ahead.  We shall see.

Another Princess and 4 NYBs...

Mulan is pieced.  I am loving the pink behind these princesses!

I also made 4 NYB blocks this week.  I am shooting for two more before Sunday.  I am at the phase now where I am mixing rings from different blocks together to form new blocks.  I really don't want to duplicate any patterns if possible.

I hope to be posting more braids from our Journey to Arizona  trek later in the week as well.

I am linking up today with:

Wait Loss Wednesday
Needle and Thread Thursday
Midweek Makers